All Topics / General Property / sick of greedy plumbers & electricians

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  • Profile photo of PhorshaPhorsha
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    Post Count: 56
    crashy wrote:
    Phorsha wrote:
    I made my dad call so I could get the discount

    lol…..so its OK if you defraud others, but if they do it to you, you have a big whine?

    5% man….If he does 5 jobs a day each at $88 bucks a pop he will take home $2200 pw, I don’t think me getting a 5% discount is going to put him in any financial trouble. It’s not like I’m taking a gold coin donation from a blind man people! 

    And as for the moisture test ‘Tools’, you can grab one for cheap (or not) at bunnings but like all large renos – best seek 'professional' help.

    anywho thats my last say in this post.

    Profile photo of Easy Beach ShowerEasy Beach Shower
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    @easy-beach-shower
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    Post Count: 46
    Phorsha wrote:
    >5% man….If he does 5 jobs a day each at $88 bucks a pop he will take home $2200 pw, I don’t think me getting a 5% discount is going to put him in any financial trouble. It’s not like I’m taking a gold coin donation from a blind man people! 

    And as for the moisture test ‘Tools’, you can grab one for cheap (or not) at bunnings but like all large renos – best seek 'professional' help.

    anywho thats my last say in this post.

    Thanks for the warning PHORSHA.
    I knew a bloke who lived on the street when he was 16, got a start selling.
    10 years later he had made 20 million dollars. Including 5 million in one year!
    He got between $500 – $2000 per sale over these 10 years.
    Is this too much pay for a man over one week…… do the math you boofhead!
    If you chase income you deserve the income…… your attitude toward people and money lacks ambition!
    My lesson: The reward of Money is tied to how you deal with all people, including yourself!

    bye, bye!

    Profile photo of elkamelkam
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    oneplumber wrote:
    I want to find out answers to these simple questions to better locate a great Plumber & Gasfitter? 1 – How often do you call a Plumber / Gasfitter? 2 – Would you prefer to have a single phone number or website for all Plumbers / Gasfitters in your local area? 3 – What is important for you? fair price urgency quality work answers phone trust service guarantee reliability on time neat & tidy local tradesman keeps in touch gives free advice easy to remember phone number has a website OTHER……………………………………..

    Hello William

    I have kept away from this useless discussion until now. However, I think yours is a constructive question so I am happy to answer.

    1.    3 – 5 times a year over  4 IPs (over 2 PMs)

    2.    That would be useful though once I find someone I trust I use them each time unless it's a big job/quote in which case I get more quotes just to reassure myself.

    3. 
    fair price                                                                    A must
    urgency                                                                      A must
    quality work                                                               A must
    answers phone                                                        Desirable
    trust                                                                             A must
    service guarantee                                                     A must
    reliability                                                                      A must
    on time                                                                        Desirable
    neat & tidy                                                                    Desirable
    local tradesman                                                         Preferable
    keeps in touch                                                            Desirable
    gives free advice                                                        Desirable
    easy to remember phone number                         Not important
    has a website                                                             Not important
    OTHER……………………………………..

    Hope this is the sort of feedback you wanted
    Cheers
    Elka

    Profile photo of ToolsTools
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    @tools
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    Phorsha wrote:
    [

    And as for the moisture test ‘Tools’, you can grab one for cheap (or not) at bunnings but like all large renos – best seek 'professional' help.

    Yes, Bunnings sell lots of toys…so what? The fact remains that you didn't have one and didn't have the knowledge, employed a professional, and he doesn't provide his services for free !

    Tools

    Profile photo of Scott No MatesScott No Mates
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    A couple of small points
    – most people who aren't in special care have an iq of >75 (and still they can't do much)
    – an apprenticeship lasts 4 years generally and covers a lot more issues than the weekend army will ever see.
    – $80 incl call out fee, a bargain. Who can diagnose a problem without seeing the site conditions?
    – trades (like plumbers, gas fitters, electricians & air-conditioning installers) are licensed due to the risks these items pose to your health and safety
    – I actually like getting paid a fair price to do the jobs that I have been trained for & to use the skills that I have acquired. If you got a 3am cold wet sunday morning call out, would you do it for $25 per hour including supplying all of your tools?

    Profile photo of wriggleswriggles
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    @wriggles
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    Just like to point out that out of that $60 – $80 per hour that we might charge, includes overheads, insurances, super, gst, tax, etc.

    So just because a "dirty ass, uneducated" tradie may get around $2200 per week…….he might actually only take home $1200 instead….and that wouldnt be for a 40 hr week either and i can vouch for that myself.

    Shop around too….not all plumbers charge a call out fee.

    Profile photo of Easy Beach ShowerEasy Beach Shower
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    @easy-beach-shower
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    In 2008 with the massive cost of living blowout of 07, what can we get for $80 bucks?

    PEOPLE may buy some of these items.

    A tank of petrol (close)

    Half of your weekly groceries.

    Dinner out.

    Car battery NO

    One Tyre – small car YES

    cheap watch

    pair of board shorts (brand obviously)

    A good tradesman hammer (Eastwing)

    Good doctor GP or specialist 15 min discussion and referral.

    2 lawns mowed.

    subway Bike (ha,ha)

    4 male haircuts

    2 – 3 cartons of beer

    phone credit

    For someone to drive to my home, address a maintenance issue, discuss possible scenarios and share ideas, SOLVE THE PROBLEM and be neat, smile, be courteous and respectful of my time and private home – $80 is great start.

    Profile photo of L.A AussieL.A Aussie
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    Profile photo of crashycrashy
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    I was a sparky offering 24/7 service.

    I was often called at 2am in the morning.

    I went out and fixed the problem immediately, and charged $60 callout and $60 an hour (with min of 1 hr, this was back in 2000)

    you wont believe how people whined!

    lets look at it from my point of view:

    at 2am, my house gets a phonecall. everyone wakes up.
    I spend 10 mins getting dressed, and 5 mins looking up the address in the map.
    at 2.15am, I start a 30 min drive to the client (on average)
    at 2.45am, I start work.
    at 3.15am, I stop work and issue an invoice for $120
    at 3.50am, I arrive back home, have a shower, family wakes up again
    at 4.05am, Im back in bed

    so thats effectively over 2 hrs work for me, plus petrol, plus the inconvenience of my family having a crappy nights sleep.

    I argue $120 isnt nearly enough!!!

    Yet people say things like:
    "$60 an hour!? so thats like $1 a min, are you for real?"
    "$120 for half an hour, your a friggin shark!"
    "if I had known you were going to charge that much I would have got my regular guy who charges $45/hr"
    "Ive NEVER been charged that much in my life!"

    hmmmm…….does your regular guy come out at 2am? Im guessing no since you called me. Of course you have never been charged that much, since youve never called someone out at 2am before. half an hour…….yeah mate, I teleported here!
    $1 a minute………yep, you just wasted $2 bitching about it
    $120 for half an hour…….but that saves you taking the day off work and saves $300 of food in the fridge from going off.

    so remind me again, who has the low I.Q……..the public or the tradies?

    Profile photo of trakkatrakka
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    @trakka
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    I just want to say that I'm not a tradie or tradie's wife, but I love and appreciate my tradies.  I don't think they get paid too much at all. In particular, they often do hard physical work in the heat of summer. They do stuff that I don't know how to do and can't do, so I appreciate their expertise. They provide an essential service. They're willing to do a 1 or 2 hour job, with no guarantee of further work. (What employees would accept those conditions of employment?) They're licenced professionals who are accountable for the quality of their work. They tolerate me saying "sorry, I know I asked you to come next week, but the other tradie hasn't been yet and I won't be ready for you until the week after". And if I'm lucky – as I usually am – they do their work happily and answer my dumb questions without being condescending, providing valuable advice as they work.

    Thank you, all tradies!

    Regards, Tracey in Brisbane

    Profile photo of L.A AussieL.A Aussie
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    crashy wrote:
    I was a sparky offering 24/7 service.

    I was often called at 2am in the morning.

    I went out and fixed the problem immediately, and charged $60 callout and $60 an hour (with min of 1 hr, this was back in 2000)

    you wont believe how people whined!

    lets look at it from my point of view:

    at 2am, my house gets a phonecall. everyone wakes up.
    I spend 10 mins getting dressed, and 5 mins looking up the address in the map.
    at 2.15am, I start a 30 min drive to the client (on average)
    at 2.45am, I start work.
    at 3.15am, I stop work and issue an invoice for $120
    at 3.50am, I arrive back home, have a shower, family wakes up again
    at 4.05am, Im back in bed

    so thats effectively over 2 hrs work for me, plus petrol, plus the inconvenience of my family having a crappy nights sleep.

    I argue $120 isnt nearly enough!!!

    Yet people say things like:
    "$60 an hour!? so thats like $1 a min, are you for real?"
    "$120 for half an hour, your a friggin shark!"
    "if I had known you were going to charge that much I would have got my regular guy who charges $45/hr"
    "Ive NEVER been charged that much in my life!"

    hmmmm…….does your regular guy come out at 2am? Im guessing no since you called me. Of course you have never been charged that much, since youve never called someone out at 2am before. half an hour…….yeah mate, I teleported here!
    $1 a minute………yep, you just wasted $2 bitching about it
    $120 for half an hour…….but that saves you taking the day off work and saves $300 of food in the fridge from going off.

    so remind me again, who has the low I.Q……..the public or the tradies?

    For what it's worth, I think that those charges are fair and reasonable, given the type of service.

    The problem for most people is; they have to travel to work every day, and never get paid for that. It's just part of the deal of being a commuter.

    This, I think, is why so many people baulk at a call-out fee. I'm not saying it isn't justified; just guessing at the mindset of the customer.

    This being the case, it would be an idea to make it well known that when you are providing this service the customer knows what the costs will be when you pick up the phone at 2 am.

    Then, they can say yes or no, and if they say yes, they have no cause to whinge.

    Not much fun for you if they say "no" over the phone at 2 am after you've answered it though.

    Profile photo of crashycrashy
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    the difference is though, people only make one trip to work per day. tradies can make 10-15. MOST of our day is spent travelling from job to job, or job to wholesaler to job. a large chunck of our day is spent in wholesalers buying materials (and its normal to lose 2 hrs here since service is sometimes shocking) or in traffic. also we spend hours after work doing paperwork.

    Profile photo of L.A AussieL.A Aussie
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    crashy wrote:
    the difference is though, people only make one trip to work per day. tradies can make 10-15. MOST of our day is spent travelling from job to job, or job to wholesaler to job. a large chunck of our day is spent in wholesalers buying materials (and its normal to lose 2 hrs here since service is sometimes shocking) or in traffic. also we spend hours after work doing paperwork.

    Fair point; you're preaching to the converted though; as an investor and business person, I don't have a problem with you guys doing that.

    But the majority of your clients are probably the average sheep; 9-5, no handy-man skills etc – no appreciation.

    Profile photo of Easy Beach ShowerEasy Beach Shower
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    YES for a certain trade quality brand.

    Eastwing – I got the hammer in 1992 ($80) and I still have it. It will never die and I believe I am one of the few who have not had their Eastwing hammer stolen.

    Today, I use Bunnings to get tools. EG: Instead of using Rothenberger multirips ($150), I buy $17 pair (same mold, different metal strength) and replace every 6 months from wear or I accidently leave them behind.

    Cheaper tools and parts does allow me to pass on savings to my clients.

    Good pick up, I am happy you read the info.

    Thanks.

    Profile photo of crashycrashy
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    re tools

    Ive been through the GMC's, the Ozito's, even the Ryobi's and B & D's……all these powertools died within weeks / months of trade use. Use Dewalt ever since & never had an issue.
    They may cost 5x more, but last 50x more and provide more power which saves time & money.

    $750 for a cordless drill. and the public whines about our charges when we use it on their house.
    Left a $600 Ramset drill at a customers house once, went back to get it a week later, customer says, nah no drill here mate. Not much I could do……….

    Profile photo of Scott No MatesScott No Mates
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    Always pay for good tools – a cheapy will almost certainly die when you are in the middle of an out of the way job. They can be depreciated but do last a number of years.

    If I leave tools somewhere, I contact the client where I have left them ASAP (some are more honest than others but that's life).

    Profile photo of nevarongnevarong
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    What's this nonsense about being charged $120 for a 2am callout – I was charged $230 for a Saturday night callout at 7pm. The guy lived 15 minutes away, he was actually in the area doing another job and spent a grand total of 15 mins at my place fixing an electrical problem. I knew I would have to pay around this amount, so it wasn't a surprise to me.

    But lets put this in perspective, he probably did say half a dozen jobs that evening x $230 per job = $1,380 for a night's work. Yes, I know he has to pay for his overheads, say 30% (which are tax deductible anyway, he'll probably get back 40%),  which leaves him about $1,000 with a large portion tax and GST free for cash jobs. That's pretty good for 6 hours work.

    I don't want to hear anymore from these tradies whinging about how they are battlers, beacuse they're not. They're C.U.B.s (cashed up bogans).

    By the way, I have no problem with someone, who ever it is, making good legitimate money, I applaud it and encorage it. But please, spare me the struggling working class battler bullshit, beacause it'ssimply not true.

    Profile photo of MasterRELMasterREL
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    fiori wrote:
    What's this nonsense about being charged $120 for a 2am callout – I was charged $230 for a Saturday night callout at 7pm. The guy lived 15 minutes away, he was actually in the area doing another job and spent a grand total of 15 mins at my place fixing an electrical problem. I knew I would have to pay around this amount, so it wasn't a surprise to me.

    But lets put this in perspective, he probably did say half a dozen jobs that evening x $230 per job = $1,380 for a night's work. Yes, I know he has to pay for his overheads, say 30% (which are tax deductible anyway, he'll probably get back 40%),  which leaves him about $1,000 with a large portion tax and GST free for cash jobs. That's pretty good for 6 hours work.

    I don't want to hear anymore from these tradies whinging about how they are battlers, beacuse they're not. They're C.U.B.s (cashed up bogans).

    By the way, I have no problem with someone, who ever it is, making good legitimate money, I applaud it and encorage it. But please, spare me the struggling working class battler bullshit, beacause it'ssimply not true.

    Yes you must know exactly what its like to run a trade business Tell every tradies wife and kids how good they have got it.Yes you can become so rich that no one wants to take on an apprenticeship and work for the massive C.U.B wages you can earn.I'm sick of 9-5 sheeple telling me how much I should be charging when they have no concept of what it is to run a business.When construction slows down prices come down.Get your bargins then for major projects.

    Profile photo of crashycrashy
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    hahahaha

    I laugh at people like you, inventing synonyms like C.U.B so you can act like you are some kind of expert when anyone with an IQ over 15 can see you are just ignorant and arrogant.

    Im such a “bogan” cos I managed to win awards during my apprenticeship for workmanship, and got another award for getting the highest score on any trade exam in the country. Still have the certificates.

    I went on to work for the 3rd richest man in the country at his Wolsley Rd mansion.

    If you were half as smart as you pretend, you would have realised that $120 was back in 2000 as stated clearly.

    another point is that tradies wages were largely unchanged from 1990 to 2003. I remember as an apprentice in 1992 we were charging $45/hr, and I was still charging that in 2003. So we are just playing catchup for years of under-pay.

    so please, remind me of how much I suck and you rule……

    Profile photo of Easy Beach ShowerEasy Beach Shower
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    If an ordinary everyday person wanted work outside of their normal 40 hours:

    1 – may not work – tell em he’s dream’in.
    2 – Want lots to show up
    3 – wantt a trade off for working during family time.

    In business we take risks, family time included to grasp the reward.

    Some years are better than others.

    Mmmm, like a CYCLE!

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